KarlosTKG now on GitHub

[Karlos]

I'm actually contemplating a version of the mod that replaces the pickups with bitmaps again. Optionally, for slower machines. Better still, use simple icons for them, similar to Quake 3. Easy to see and fast to draw.

[Karlos]

Finally some usable wall light textures for those grey expanses...

In other news, I am thinking to create a slightly different version of the mod that goes back to fully bitmapped pickups, ultimately for everything, so that the only vector objects will be the occasional boss and your viewport weapon. This should improve performance since basic bitmap objects are the fastest object class to draw. Furthermore, they aren't affected by lighting either, so they are always visible.

However, rather than try to make some half arsed 32-colour sprite that never looks quite right, I thought I'd take a leaf out of quake 3's book here. In our case, 32x32 icons, with a 3-pixel box around them to indicate they are ammo rather than a weapon. The weapon pickup icons (not done yet) could stretch to 64x32.

If you can tell what they are from the image immediately, then that's all the proof I need it's not a bad idea.

The launch script would choose between one of two different game link files for the game by tricking the engine through the use of assign add to merge a version specific subdirectory with the main AB3: assign (though I do need to test that works).

[abu_the_monkey]

Oooooo nice. the more options the better

[Karlos]

The performance of my mod (on real 68K hardware) as it stands is definitely impacted by all the vector models. Also, it glitches out a lot more for the same reason (which of course needs fixing but that's a while can of worms).

There's a bug/oversight in the rendering of bitmap objects that they are always full brightness (hence the easy visibility of the red dogs) but for this, that bug becomes a benefit since the pickup should always be visible. The other thing is that making them bright primary colours means they ought to stand out against the greys that dominate the environment.

[vroom6sri]

For what it's worth I think they look great and would welcome anything that would improve the game play experience on my 030.

Thanks for all your continued efforts.

[grond]

Originally Posted by Karlos

There's a bug/oversight in the rendering of bitmap objects that they are always full brightness (hence the easy visibility of the red dogs) but for this, that bug becomes a benefit since the pickup should always be visible. The other thing is that making them bright primary colours means they ought to stand out against the greys that dominate the environment.

Hm. I'm not sure I'd consider constant pickup visibility an advantage. I always liked about AB3D that you didn't just run around in berzerk mode but carefully searched for a way through the mess ahead of you. I'd consider pickups you actually have to look for a vital part of that concept.

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by grond

Hm. I'm not sure I'd consider constant pickup visibility an advantage. I always liked about AB3D that you didn't just run around in berzerk mode but carefully searched for a way through the mess ahead of you. I'd consider pickups you actually have to look for a vital part of that concept.

You can solve that with better placement.

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by abu_the_monkey

Oooooo nice. the more options the better

So the whole assign add trick works well but there's a snag for my mod specifically. I'd previously made the blaster its own ammo pickup, reserving a frame for the ammo clip which is what's used as the default for the collectable. This is because you start the game with the blaster already equipped and never needed to find it again, so this saved me an object slot that I was able to reuse. However making it a bitmap now means you get no weapon view in your hand. The same problem exists for the bounce laser, which is no longer has any separate ammunition object as a pickup.

[abu_the_monkey]

Originally Posted by Karlos

So the whole assign add trick works well but there's a snag for my mod specifically. I'd previously made the blaster its own ammo pickup, reserving a frame for the ammo clip which is what's used as the default for the collectable. This is because you start the game with the blaster already equipped and never needed to find it again, so this saved me an object slot that I was able to reuse. However making it a bitmap now means you get no weapon view in your hand. The same problem exists for the bounce laser, which is no longer has any separate ammunition object as a pickup.

bugger.

I am sure you will figure something out

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by abu_the_monkey

bugger.

I am sure you will figure something out

Well that something is just leaving those pickups as is. There aren't that many. I also tried reimplementing all the effects as vanilla bitmaps but ended up with that same complete palette corruption we had when adding the same option at runtime.

[Karlos]

If anyone is interested to try, the new High/Low specification launch option is currently pushed to this branch https://github.com/0xABADCAFE/karlos.../misc/redesign

When launching the game from the icon, you are first asked to choose one of the 4 engines (currently the latest builds from main). Once that is selected, a second requester lets you choose between High and Low specification for the game.

The only difference between these at this time is that most of the pickups (excluding the blaster ammo clip, bounce laser and jetpack) have been swapped out for high visibility bitmap icons. The icons are single colour and inspired by the similar mechanism in Quake 3.

Some screenshots attached.

[Karlos]

Contrary to my previous statements, it also seems to be the case that bitmaps are affected by ambient brightness, but it's way more subtle than other object types. Or it could just be distance darkening.

[abu_the_monkey]

I will check it out in the morrow, looks cool (colours are maybe not as vibrant as wanted I guess)
not to everyone's taste but it would be good in arcade mode or death match

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by abu_the_monkey

I will check it out in the morrow, looks cool (colours are maybe not as vibrant as wanted I guess)
not to everyone's taste but it would be good in arcade mode or death match

I could make them more saturated. I didn't use the most intense blue or green in the palette.

I also rediscovered today what a pain it is to create new bitmap graphics. Firstly, I lost the tool I'd created for this task a long time ago (wasn't backed up) so went back to the Amos tools or came with. These do work, but I forgot that it's a multi step process. First you use one tool to convert the .off graphic into a .dat file. Then a second tool to convert that into a .wad/.ptr/.pal trio that the game actually loads. Next you define the frames in the game linker which allows you to configure any rectangular section as a frame. However, when defining the animations for objects that use those frames, there's an off by one bug, so what you actually think of as frame number 0 in the first step, is frame number 1 here.

[abu_the_monkey]

Originally Posted by Karlos

If anyone is interested to try, the new High/Low specification launch option is currently pushed to this branch https://github.com/0xABADCAFE/karlos.../misc/redesign

When launching the game from the icon, you are first asked to choose one of the 4 engines (currently the latest builds from main). Once that is selected, a second requester lets you choose between High and Low specification for the game.

The only difference between these at this time is that most of the pickups (excluding the blaster ammo clip, bounce laser and jetpack) have been swapped out for high visibility bitmap icons. The icons are single colour and inspired by the similar mechanism in Quake 3.

Some screenshots attached.

I downloaded the repo but only get the initial engine requester (which is neat by the way) and then the game starts, not the option to use low/high spec?

am I doing something wrong

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by abu_the_monkey

I downloaded the repo but only get the initial engine requester (which is neat by the way) and then the game starts, not the option to use low/high spec?

am I doing something wrong

Sounds like you are on the wrong branch. It's pushed to misc/redesign

[abu_the_monkey]

I just clicked the link in your post and downloaded it. it is named redesign

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by abu_the_monkey

I just clicked the link in your post and downloaded it. it is named redesign

Don't you already have the mod checked out? Just do a 'git fetch --all' then 'git checkout misc/redesign'

Unless I didn't push it...

[Karlos]

I must've been tired. I forgot to commit, never mind push.

Fixed. Try again.

[abu_the_monkey]

Originally Posted by Karlos

Don't you already have the mod checked out? Just do a 'git fetch --all' then 'git checkout misc/redesign'

Unless I didn't push it...

no, I have always downloaded it through github website.

my system (the PC and Amiga) is becoming a mess at the mo, time to declutter me thinks.